Sharing and learning the focus of Bakery Showcase

Bakery Showcase will be a beehive of activity for the baking industry. Here is a look at what’s happening at the Baking Association of Canada’s booth and beyond.

‘Ask an Expert’ session and one-on-one consultations added to Bakery Showcase lineup
Alan Dumonceaux, Canada’s Coupe de Monde de la Boulangerie and World Bakery Masters expert, and BAC director and member of the education committee, will deliver an “Ask an Expert” learning session on common issues and challenges faced by professional bakers, lead a lively Q-and-A and give you advice on improving your formula by appointment at the Baking Association of Canada’s booth.

The Q-and-A and discussion will take place on Sunday, May 5. from 3-4 p.m. in the Bakers’ Classroom education sessions area on the trade show floor. Attend to hear expert technical tips to improve your baking, bring your questions, and sign up to speak to Alan and other expert bakers and pastry chefs at the Baking Association of Canada booth (911/913).

Would you like to have an expert improve any of your bread, bun and Viennoiserie formulas? Would you like to add a preferment to a straight dough formula but need help? Email your questions to info@baking.ca.

NEW ON THE SCHEDULE, MONDAY, 10-11 a.m.: Alan will do a demonstration entitled “Croissants and Breads: Understanding Differences in Finished Products Based on Ingredient Choices.” Don’t miss it!

Time to Automate? Automation, Innovation and Your Bakery
How can small, medium and large bakeries determine if, when and how to automate or update their equipment? Join us as we tackle this question from multiple angles with the help of baking and automation experts.

In this session, which will take place from 2-3 p.m. on Sunday, May 5, you will learn from baking industry experts in bread, pastry and automation:

• What innovations and automated equipment are available
• How to decide if, when and how to automate
• Where to focus spending
• How to obtain grants to support automation
• The potential return on investment

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about technological innovation, automation and how it can benefit your bakery!

Moderated by Bakers Journal Editor Colleen Cross, panellists include:

• Randy Belcot, Vice-President of Sales, Reiser Canada, Burlington, Ont.
• Peter Jacobs, Baker’s Workshop, Newmarket, Ont.
• Alyson Slapkauskas, CEO, ABI Ltd., Richmond Hill, Ont.
• Joe Swiston, Vice-President, Operations, WOW Factor! Desserts, Sherwood Park, Alta.
• Thomas Zetlian, Plant Manager, Arz Fine Foods, Mississauga, Ont. 

BAC’s AGM, technical committee update and show opening
Find out what the hardworking Baking Association of Canada has been up to on behalf of the baking industry and meet board members over coffee and pastries! Attend the AGM from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. and stay for coffee and pastries from 9:30 to 10.

Join Director of Food Nutrition and Policy Denise Lee and members of the Baking Association of Canada’s Food Policy and Sustainability Committee.

At 11 a.m. at the Demonstration Area inside the trade show floor, Hon. Rechie Valdez, Federal Minister of Small Business, and Hon. Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, will join the BAC in opening Bakery Showcase!

Bakery Showcase is an international event! From 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., international attendees are invited to join members of the Baking Association of Canada in the Visitors Lounge for networking opportunities and a tour of the show.

Meet the celebrity bakers and authors!
Come to the BAC booth to meet celebrity chefs Anna Olson and Issa Niemeijer-Brown and get your copy of their latest books signed while talking all things baking! 

Come to the BAC booth to meet celebrity chef Anna Olson and buy her latest book. Photo: Appetite by Random House

Anna Olson may be Canada’s baking sweetheart but she’s an accomplished savoury chef as well, and with her positive and common-sense approach in the kitchen, she has become one of the country’s most recognizable television chefs. Anna has appeared for two decades on The Marilyn Denis Show and Food Network Canada shows like “Bake with Anna Olson” and “Great Chocolate Showdown.” Her Oh Yum YouTube channel, which now has over 1.4 million subscribers, features her classic content, livestreams and fresh series such as “Food Travel Diaries.” An expert in writing recipes with a practical sense, her work appears in magazines and best-selling cookbooks. Anna’s newest cookbook,  Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom: The Complete Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Make You a Better Baker became an instant bestseller upon release in 2023, and her previous book, “Baking Day,” received a gold medal at the Taste Canada cook-book awards.

Issa Niemeijer-Brown, cofounder and owner of Gebroeders Niemeijer bakery in Amsterdam, has just published A Book About Bread: A Baker’s Manual in English! Be one of the first to snag a copy of this artisan must-read and winner of a Gourmand Award Gourmand World Cookbook Award in the Bakery Pro category that’s been called exceptional, surprising, accessible and clear. Issa’s books will be available for purchase at the Annex Bookstore booth (909).

Visit bakeryshowcasecanada.ca for the full schedule, register now and we’ll see you at the show!